Cabot Circus mall in Bristol evacuated after bomb threat

PUBLISHED Thu, May 25, 2017 - 3:44pm EDT

Credit: Cabot Circus

Hundreds of shoppers at the Cabot Circus shopping centre in Bristol were evacuated Thursday after a bomb threat was phoned in, witnesses and officials say. Nothing unusual was found and the cordons were later lifted. (more)

The incident began just after 8 p.m. on Thursday when a large number of police officers responded to the Cabot Circus mall. Shoppers who were inside the complex were told to evacuate and a police cordon was put in place.

Photos from the scene showed hundreds of people waiting in the area as emergency services, including a number of ambulances and fire crews, arrived at the scene. Sniffer dogs were also at the scene, witnesses said.

A police official said officers responded to a phone call that claimed there was bomb at the mall which would explode at a certain time. The response was purely precautionary and no injuries have been reported.

"Earlier this evening we received a call in relation to Cabot Circus Shopping Centre," Avon and Somerset Police said in a brief statement. "Officers attended and the shopping centre made the decision to evacuate."

Just after 9 p.m., staff members and guests were allowed back into the Marriot and people were also allowed to pick up their car from NCP Broadmead. Shortly before 10 p.m., all the remaining police cordons were lifted.

"The centre has been reopened after it was established there was no risk to the public," Avon and Somerset Police said in an update. "Our priority is always to protect you and ensure you are safe and we'd like to thank you all for your support and understanding."

Cabot Circus, which opened in September 2008 and is adjacent to Broadmead, is home to about 140 shops, a cinema and a hotel, as well as more than 250 aparments and a number of offices.